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What makes a bassist a "hack"?

#63
I
Am
Spartacus!
Weberman said:
My interpretation of a "hack" is someone whose gear, gigs, and perhaps persona, far surpass their actual abilities. That is, they aren't honest about their playing. It isn't a novice player. They are merely developing. It isn't just a bad player, with no pretension. They are at least honest. Even a bad player with high-end gear, who is admittedly just a collector, doesn't really cross over into "hack" territory. They don't claim to be real musicians - just gear enthusiasts.

So, when I think of a "hack", I picture someone who plays music that they really have no business playing, while trying to pass their playing off as great. They may hide behind an aura of conceit, flashy theatrics, or a wall of high-end gear. They probably use session musicians, or copious amounts of editing on recorded tracks. Whatever the case, when it comes time to perform, they just can't keep up with the music, or possibly the other band members. Yet, they still go on as if they really belong. They ruin the music, and bring the band down without apology. Never do they say "gee, maybe I should really get back to the fundamentals, and TRY to do a better job." They just find an excuse, or shrug off any criticism, and continue to stink up the stage.

Possibly, hacks might also include players who are very technically gifted, and can play other people's music very precisely, but write absolute garbage. Their music is all show, and no go, or just completely uninspired. They aren't "bad" players, but can't see their own lack of creativity, or emotion (which is, admittedly, very subjective).

One thing that comes to mind is an anecdote from a friend. He was really into a band, whose music was really precisely recorded. One day, he saw them live, and realized that they actually couldn't reproduce the music live. I don't mean due to layering, and backing tracks. They actually could not play the music they had written. They were sloppy, and unprofessional.

The StSanders "Shreds" series of parody videos, if real, would be perfect examples of what I think of when I hear "hack".
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#73
N. Kentucky Bass said:
Definition: Hack, as in "I'm just a hack." A statement of self-modesty intended to hide our true feelings of awesomeness that wouldn't survive the first 8 bars of a song played with truly awesome musicians. Who would immediately know that definition was truly what we are.
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I'm a hack! I feel inadequate around truly awesome musicians all the time. :thumbsup:
 
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